Moto GP: Valentino Rossi the master at rain-soaked Silverstone

Italian great Valentino Rossi won a rain-hit British Grand Prix to regain the MotoGP world championship lead from Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo on Sunday.

With Honda's reigning champion Marc Marquez crashing out eight laps from the end, the veteran Rossi led an all-Italian podium in his fourth win of the season while Lorenzo could finish only fourth.

Rossi was claiming his first Silverstone victory as he looks to seal a 10th world title of a stellar 19-year career.

'The Doctor' now has 236 points to Lorenzo's 224 with six races remaining; Spain's Marquez is 77 points off the lead, his hopes of retaining the title all but over.

Rossi said: "I'm very happy to win the race, because it was hard. But I had good pace and I could ride well. I had to stay concentrated at the end, because the conditions were more water, so I didn't want to make any mistakes. 

"I rode very smooth, but my bike was great – I enjoyed it very much – so I just had to ride it through the corners."

Danilo Petrucci finished second - his first MotoGP podium appearance - for the Pramac Ducati team with works Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso third.

Scott Redding was the top British rider, finishing sixth for the Marc VDS Honda team after announcing his move to Pramac for the 2016 season, while compatriot Bradley Smith was seventh on his Yamaha.

British MotoGP result:

1 V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 46 minutes 15.617 seconds
2 D Petrucci (Ita) Ducati 46:18.627
3 A Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 46:19.734
4 J Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 46:21.343
5 D Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 46:26.749
6 S Redding (GB) Honda 46:41.084
7 B Smith (GB) Yamaha 46:42.334
8 A Iannone (Ita) Ducati 46:45.010
9 A Espargaro (Spa) Suzuki 46:54.432
10 A Bautista (Spa) Aprilia 46:57.329

MotoGP Standings (after race 12 of 18):

1 V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 236
2 J Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 224
3 M Marquez (Spa) Honda 159
4 A Iannone (Ita) Ducati 150
5 A Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 120
6 B Smith (GB) Yamaha 115
7 D Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 102
8 D Petrucci (Ita) Ducati 83
9 P Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 81
10 C Crutchlow (GB) Honda 74